Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Courtesy of MAC Office
KING’S FAVORED IN FREEDOM
CONFERENCE
PRESEASON FIELD HOCKEY POLL
Annville, PA – In a
pre-season poll of conference coaches, the King’s College Lady Monarchs
have been voted the favorite to win the Freedom Conference championship.
King’s received four first place votes and a total of 39 points.
Posting a 19-4 (6-1 league) mark in 2006, King’s
enjoyed the best season in school history. The Lady Monarchs won the
Freedom Conference Tournament title over Scranton before advancing to
the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Rowan in the first round.
Returning four All Conference players from last
year’s squad, the team looks to 2006 Freedom Conference Tournament Most
Valuable Player and Second Team All Conference selection, senior Debbie
Wychock (25 goals, 11 assists), to set the pace of their attack. First
Team selections Grace King (senior, midfield) and Kari Leach (junior,
goalkeeper) along with Second Team honoree Christina Glenn (junior,
midfield) are also major components in the success of the Lady Monarchs
race to the title.
FDU-Florham was second in the poll with 34 total
points.
Finishing tied for second last year at 13-8 (5-2),
the Devils lost to Scranton in the conference semis and then to
Montclair State in the ECAC quarterfinals. This season they look to mesh
young, talented players with experienced ones in hopes for the
tournament once again.
Key to the Devils’ success are 2006 First Team All
Conference junior forward Christina Fabian (11 goals), and Second Team
All Conference selections Jackie Gale (sophomore, midfield) and Jamie
SanFilippo (junior, goalkeeper).
Delaware Valley placed third in the poll with 33
total points and one first place vote.
Finishing the regular season in fourth place
(10-9, 4-3), the Aggies fell to King’s in the conference semifinals.
2006 Coach of the Year, Carol Di Girolama looks to
head back to the playoffs led by First Team All Conference forward
Michelle Cernobyl (junior, 29 points, 13 goals) and Second Team All
Conference midfielder and 2006 Rookie of the Year Bethany Pavlik
(sophomore, 12 goals).
Wilkes received 32 points and one first place vote
in the poll placing them fourth.
Ending last season with a 9-9 (2-5) mark, the
Colonels barely missed a shot at the playoffs. Behind the strong play of
First Team All Conference midfielder Carrie Stolarick (senior) and
Second Team All Conference defender Kristina Naveira, Wilkes will be
back looking to make another strong run.
DeSales was selected fifth with 24 total points
and one first place vote. The Bulldogs finished sixth in regular season
play last year at 9-9.
Second Team All Conference forward Ashley Sparango
(senior), senior Jen Pulcini (12 goals, 8 assists) and the rest of the
DeSales team look to make a break into the postseason this year.
Manhattanville (3-16, 1-6) came in sixth in this
year’s poll with 22 points.
After last year’s eighth place finish the Valiants
are optimistic about the 2007 campaign and look to new head coach
Danielle Lacroix to pave the way to success.
Arcadia received 13 points for seventh place.
The Knights are entering their first year
competing in the Freedom Conference, and new coach Colleen Carney hopes
to push them into contention for a postseason berth.
2007
Freedom Conference Pre-Season Field Hockey Coaches Poll
1. King’s 39 pts. (4)
2. FDU-Florham 34 pts.
3. Delaware Valley 33 pts. (1)
4. Wilkes 32 pts. (1)
5. DeSales 24 pts. (1)
6. Manhattanville 22 pts.
7. Arcadia 13 pts.
First-Place Votes in Parentheses
